Leap!
Year: 2016
Rating: PG
Length: 89 minutes / 1.48 hours
In searching for movies to watch with my daughter, I figured Leap! (2016) was a good fit since she is actively interested in dance/ballet. She seemed to enjoy it, but I wasn’t entirely impressed. I’m willing to give animated films a try when they aren’t from big studios with lots of gravitas, but this one felt just generic enough as to be almost indistinguishable from the swath of cheap direct-to-streaming fare that clogs these services. I will grant that the animation looks pretty good for 2016, but visuals aren’t the only thing that makes these kinds of movies tick.
The story in Leap! is mostly your generic “follow your dreams” fare that most movies directed at kids have done before. Common tropes of persevering and working hard are here, as usual, but with the slightly more troubling trope of lying to catch a break. Sure, gatekeeping isn’t a great way to discover new talent, but when the success of an underdog is pinned on a few moments of dishonesty, it spoils the eventual success they receive—not to mention the almost required third act reveal that the main character has been deceiving everyone until now.
What’s frustrating here is there was potential for a better movie here, but it’s held back by the cheap laughs that kids will give it. Victor’s (Nat Wolff) plotline felt almost forgotten for most of the film until it suddenly comes into play at the end. If he was more involved with Félicie (Elle Fanning) training to be a ballerina, it would have been less frustrating than him being pulled away through ridiculous means every time when the two of them get close. Still, if you’re looking for something to pass the time with your kids, Leap! can easily fit the bill.
An OK animated film filled with lots of generic tropes, I give Leap! 3.0 stars out of 5.
